Chapter 20: Facing an insurmountable trouble, Zao Zao curls into a ball

**Chapter 20: Facing an Unbeatable Problem, Zao Zao Curls into a Ball**

Even while meowing and scolding loudly, he choked.

Back in the warm indoors, Xiao Chuzao’s fluffy coat was taken off. The little one shook off the brown garment and shoved it away.

Clearly, the little guy didn’t want to remember the moment he had been called a “cockroach.”

Xiao Chuzao probably wouldn’t want to wear coffee-colored clothes again anytime soon.

The little white fluffball choked, coughing violently—*cough, cough, cough.*

For a little fluffball like Chu Zao, choking was downright scary. His small body trembled with each cough, looking ready to take off at any moment, his wings quivering along with the spasms.

Several Crown Clan members, none of whom had raised kids, sat on the sofa wide-eyed, not daring to reach out. Even Mei Lun held back—he had seen young cubs before, but back then he was still young himself, and the elders would never have let him help with childcare. Or perhaps, at that time, though the Crown Clan wasn’t numerous, they weren’t exactly scarce either, so childcare duties never fell to him.

Amos hesitated, unsure where to even start.

Mori, standing behind the sofa, whispered impulsively, “Your Majesty, just hold Little Highness and pat his back lightly—not too hard.”

Amos finally snapped to attention, cradling the little white fluffball carefully and gently patting his back in slow, steady motions.

Like this?

Amos stayed silent, but doubt flickered in his eyes.

Mori, a decades-long veteran, knew Amos and the Crown Clan royals inside out.

He nodded with a smile.

“Yes, see? Little Highness is starting to calm down.”

The little fluffball’s coughing eased off. Blinking his watery amber eyes, he peered up at Amos.

“Meow!”

Papa, Zao Zao’s all better now.

The small halo above his head swayed gently, appearing brighter than before.

It gave off a soft, warm glow.

Amos had never sensed anything like this in a Crown Clan’s halo before.

Crown Clan halos were always pitch-black—even when their spiritually connected home planet still thrived, they had always been dark. The inner nature of the Crown Clan was unmistakable: cruelty and violence.

No matter how refined or polite they seemed, their bone-deep ferocity always showed.

But Xiao Chuzao’s halo was nothing like that. It was as if he wore the radiance of the sun atop his head—you could almost feel a gentle warmth where the light touched.

Or maybe Amos was just imagining it.

Amos stroked the soft fur on Xiao Chuzao’s head twice.

Before the little cub could meow again—

A shrill alarm suddenly pierced the skies of the Saint Cas Empire.

Xiao Chuzao was startled.

His clear eyes instinctively darted outside.

In the room, the previously relaxed Crown Clan suddenly stood up, except for Amos, who remained seated quietly on the sofa, still holding Xiao Chuzao.

Their crimson eyes—stained by shattered crowns—turned toward the distant sky.

"Invasion?"

An Ya cocked her head, her voice laced with doubt.

Though the Crown Clan often left the imperial capital—whether to conquer other planets or deal with nearby Aberrant Beast Legions—an alarm blaring over the imperial capital itself was a first.

"Recently, there have been spatial ripples near the capital, but they’ve been under constant surveillance. There shouldn’t have been any major issues."

Frey tightened his grip on the communicator.

Outside, snow continued to fall.

Perhaps because of this, no one had caught the sky’s shift from azure to gloom.

"Report! A horde of aberrant beasts has breached the first defensive line! They’re pouring in—origin unknown, likely emerging from a highly polluted interstellar exclusion zone via spatial jump—and all exhibit extreme aggression. The first line of defense is on the verge of collapse!"

"Report! Spatial distortions just spiked thirtyfold, exceeding maximum safety thresholds. Go to nationwide alert?"

"Report! Currently, only the 9th Army under General Ye Ming and the 10th Army under General Changle are stationed at the capital. Both commanders request immediate communication with His Majesty!"

The communicator crackled with a flood of reports.

Xiao Chuzao also faintly sensed the tense atmosphere. The little furball’s eyes went round, curling into a trembling ball.

The alarm’s shriek set his nerves on edge—he instinctively clutched Amos’ clothes.

In this state of war, all members of the Crown Clan turned to their Alpha Emperor—their sovereign.

They were blades drawn, poised to strike.

At last, Amos—still seated—opened his eyes.

He had absorbed every report; the air around him seemed to freeze.

As his eyes opened, his psychic power instantly connected with everything around him, claiming dominion over all of Saint Cas.

All screens and instruments abruptly halted. Every voice cut out, leaving only the alarm’s wail echoing across the sky, accompanied by the falling snow.

Oddly, the citizens’ panic stilled as the screens died.

Then, every screen flickered to life, displaying the Dwight Family’s crown emblem as its backdrop, pulsing faintly. Above the crest, only two starkly simple words appeared—the barest order:

"Strike Back."

Amos deposited the furball beside him.

He stood.

"An Ya, hold the south. Frey, the west. The 9th and 10th Armies will reinforce the third defensive line. As for the east and north—I’ll handle them myself."

Through the communicator, he heard the snap of salutes and "Yes, sir!"s.

Amos extended his hand. Black psychic power pooled in his palm. Above his head, an oppressive crown slowly materialized, its edges shattered, ash-like embers swirling at its edges. He grasped his Psychic Weapon—a blade, or perhaps another manifestation of Amos’ own psychic extension. Though the Crown Clan’s psychic weapons suited their formidable power, they tended to be brutally straightforward.

Amos grasped the sword and lightly swung it downward—snow in the sky seemed to pause.

"Awoo..."

"Papa...? What's happening?"

Xiao Chuzao curled into a small ball. He was too young—he had always been alone before, and when faced with trouble, unless absolutely necessary, he would usually hide if possible.

At this moment, his soft, young voice carried a hint of panic—Xiao Chuzao still didn’t understand the responsibilities borne by the Crown-Clan.

A trace of Amos’s aura dissipated slightly as he glanced back at the little cub glowing with psychic energy.

"Mei Lun, Zao Zao will be under your care for now."

This was unexpected. Rarely had the Crown-Clan been so openly provoked, making it hard to judge whether the royal court remained safe.

Moreover, within the court were many of Mei Lun’s generation—Crown-Clan members whose psychic energy teetered on the brink of collapse, like walking time bombs.

Still, taking Xiao Chuzao along did not sit well with Amos either.

Mei Lun, whose psychic energy had shown some stability over the past two days, bowed. His gaze lingered on the blazing crown above Amos’s head—one that seemed to burn with life itself. Lowering his eyes respectfully, he submitted to the Alpha-Emperor, his voice firm, showing no sign of weakness.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

*

Beyond the borders of Saint Cas’s imperial star, deep in space...

Onboard a hidden starship, seven seats formed a circle—some occupied, others empty.

In their center, four screens displayed from multiple angles the invasion of Saint Cas’s imperial star.

"Heh heh, it begins!"

Saint Cas’s first line of defense was unexpectedly torn apart.

The beasts, frenzied yet regimented, instinctively charged toward the planet before them.

"This is a rare sight indeed. I wonder if today we’ll witness the fall of the Crown-Clan—ah, what a delight."

"Their fall? Even if they don’t fall completely, they’re down to a handful. They haven’t produced a cub in centuries—they have no future. It’s just a shame their lifespans are so long. Even as their psychic energy decays, the process takes far too long. But now… after all our effort—locating a beast horde capable of threatening Saint Cas, pinpointing the perfect spatial fluctuation, using up some of the universe’s rarest materials—we’ve finally set this up. Let’s hope the pawns we placed don’t disappoint."

"What a grand spectacle. I love it. A Crown-Clan member’s psychic meltdown equals dozens of high-yield nuclear explosions. And right now, the royal court holds so many living warheads… Hmm, should we move our starship farther away? Just in case we get caught in the blast."

"If we go too far, the signal weakens. The pawns have already infiltrated Saint Cas’s imperial star, haven’t they? I’d love to see those Crown-Clan members, driven mad by corruption, destroy the empire they built with their own hands."

*

The forces within the royal court were thin, though they were Saint Cas’s elite.

Most prominent among the structures stood the royal council hall and the palace of the Crown-Clan’s ruling house: the Dwights—both held great allure for Saint Cas’s enemies, the invaders.

Mei Lun, holding the small white bundle, hurried away.

Behind him, within the palace, Mori and others remained behind, bolstering defenses to throw off the enemy.

Mei Lun carried Xiao Chuzao all the way to his former room.

Inside, the place was in shambles—utter ruin.

Xiao Chuzao stepped down and padded in nervous circles, his tiny tail dragging across the floor, peering up at Mei Lun.

"Awoo!"

"Grandpa Mei Lun, where did Dada go? What is Dada doing?"

"Papa has important matters to attend to. How about Zao Zao stays with Grandpa, okay?"

Xiao Chuzao let out a weak "meow," agreeing. But he wrapped his tiny claws around his little tail and was clearly nervous.

Quite some time had passed. Outside, the sky was lit up by flashes of weapon explosions and streaks of energy blasts that brought sudden brightness and pressure.

It seemed the royal court wasn’t in grave danger. Although the exact situation was unclear, this place should still be safe.

Mei Lun relaxed slightly, watching the little one clutching his tail, little ears twitching.

He crouched down, thought for a moment, wanting to tell Xiao Chuzao about the responsibilities and mission of the Crown Clan.

He said, "Zao Zao, if you ever face something you can't overcome, what would you do?"

Would you fight against fate? Hold out to the end? Make a grand exit?

Most members of the Crown Clan shared this mindset.

It was simply their nature.

The little fluffball blinked his round eyes, hugging his tail as if deep in thought. His small head tucked in, and his tiny wings wrapped around his whole body—even his little halo *biu* retracted into his wings—until he curled up on the floor like a ball.

Mei Lun couldn't suppress a smile—so adorable.

"Meow."

Zao Zao would curl up into a ball.

Ah... Zao Zao would curl up into a ball… curl up into a ball?

Mei Lun——

"Author's Words"

Grandpa Mei Lun: He's such a natural! "Shocked" (*Biu*: an onomatopoeic sound often used to express something quick and cute.)